What's in Burns dog food?
Burns was founded by a vet on the idea that a shorter, simpler ingredient list is easier on a dog's digestion than a recipe with many different protein and carbohydrate sources. That founding idea still shapes the range today: most Burns recipes are built around brown rice or oats as the main carbohydrate, paired with one clearly named protein such as chicken, lamb, duck or fish, rather than a long list of meats and grains.
The idea behind the recipes
Burns' recipes lean on hypoallergenic principles — fewer ingredients, a single named protein, and rice or oats rather than a mix of grains — with the reasoning that this is gentler on dogs with sensitive digestion or skin. That does not make every Burns recipe a medical diet, but it explains why the brand is often reached for by owners whose dog has a sensitive stomach or a known intolerance to a specific ingredient.
The range covers most life stages and needs: puppy and junior formulas, adult and senior recipes, weight control options, and a dedicated sensitive range for dogs with known digestive or skin sensitivities.
Choosing across the range
For a healthy adult dog with no known sensitivities, the standard adult or senior chicken and rice recipes are the straightforward starting point. If your dog has a known intolerance to a specific protein, the range includes alternatives built around duck, lamb or fish instead, following the same simple-recipe approach.
For a dog carrying extra weight, the weight control formula uses the same low-ingredient-count approach with a lower calorie density, and for an active working dog, the range also includes a higher-energy recipe built for dogs with genuinely higher activity levels rather than an average pet's daily walk.
Life stages the range covers
Puppies and juniors have their own formula in the range, built around the same simple-ingredient approach but adjusted for growth, and it is worth choosing this over an adult recipe while your dog is still developing rather than moving them onto adult food early. Senior dogs are covered too, generally alongside the standard adult recipe rather than as a wholly separate line, reflecting steadier nutritional needs once a dog is fully grown.
Whichever life stage or recipe you land on, any change from a previous food is best made gradually over a week or so, mixing increasing amounts of the new food in with the old, since even a well-tolerated recipe can cause loose stools if introduced too quickly.
From this brand
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- Is Burns dog food grain-free?
- No — most Burns recipes are built around brown rice or oats rather than being grain-free. The idea is a simple, easily digestible grain rather than avoiding grain entirely.
- Is Burns good for dogs with sensitive stomachs?
- It is a common choice for exactly that reason, since the recipes use a shorter ingredient list and a single named protein, which can be easier on a sensitive digestive system than a food with many mixed ingredients. Every dog is different, so introduce any new food gradually.
- Does Burns make puppy food?
- Yes, Burns has a dedicated puppy and junior formula in the range, built on the same simple-recipe approach as the rest of the brand's food but adjusted to support a growing dog's needs.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.